This is the best step- by-step video I have seen so far as how to vacuum an AC GAS LINE. I do not understand why some AC technicians are trying to make this so complicated.
Most of them require you to have more tools than most HVAC companies having their shop let alone your truck.😂 It's almost like they're trying to make it seem way harder than it needs to be.
Thank you for video. I just bought my first vacuum pump. I replaced a 2 ton Rheem evaporator and 2 ton Goodman condenser in my house. People claim you have to vacuum car a/c system. I replaced a leaking condenser on my 2004 Trailblazer over 7 years ago. I didn't vacuum it and it run fine.
Vacuum is important. Keep in mind it also depends on where you are (humid environment or not). If it’s cold outside with low humidity you may be ok. Also a car system is very small as compared to home so it can go by without pulling vacuum. In home system if you don’t pull vacuum it will hold lots of moisture and eventually over time time will cause corrosion to internal of compressor and will damage it. Trust me on that.
Great video channel the guy takes time to actually reply to questions , so re assuring to have that support , I have now subscribed because of the time this guy takes to help out . Thanks again bro God bless ❤❤from Uk 🇬🇧
Good job on the video, you provided easy to follow instructions for the ordinary diy user. I am going to pull a vacuum using your method on an old R22 line sets that I will be attaching a new 3 Tons R410a unit to them. Based on your experience, will pulling a vacuum on the older line sets be sufficient to remove residual R22 impurities? Or should I consider flushing them with a commercial cleaning solution? Running new line sets is problematic in my situation. I appreciate your response. Thanks,
Check out my playlist for HVAC. There is another video of vacuum and charging the system. Keep a look out as I’ll be posting more. There is a list of a new unit installation from start to finish.
@@HowToDoitright Thanks for you reply. Do you still recommend the pump you used in this video, Zenny I believe, or you switched to another pump? Are you able to pull vacuum down to 500 Micron with it? Did you get a Micron gage, and if yes which one and do you recommend it? Thanks,
No I don’t recommend Zenny pump. I would suggest get a good pump. That’s why I switched to Yellowjacket pump. I’ll be uploading another video in a day or so of vacuuming with my new pump and micron gauge and setup I used.
Nice video thanks you , when you are topping the gas do you have to have the Ac running ? , also if it’s totally empty can u just fill it using the red side of the pipe ?
When you say you recovered the refrigerant into the compressor, you mean receiver right ? Because if your pulling a vacuum and there’s refrigerant in the compressor your gonna damage the pump.
i noticed you shut your pump off then closed your valves? i was always told to shut the valves off then shut off your vacuum pump. what was is correct?
To do this much faster, purchase a 3 way valve with a Schroeder valve remover, remove the valve, hook up a micron gauge to the three way, and then hook up your hose. That is all that this video is missing for it to be professional grade.
Good lord. I won’t say get professional help, but consult with someone experienced in HVAC. In a new system, your outside unit … the condensing unit (AC) or heat pump comes with a refrigerant charge so if you open up those valves, you lose all that charge. Expensive boo-boo, bad for the environment and illegal. Existing system procedure depends on if it was pumped down. You can only do this if there is still a decent amount of charge in the system. Too many factors for a UA-cam comment explanation. No simple answer, you need more learning. Watch a 1000 more videos and you can probably figure it out.
Thanks for clarifying. Mine unit there isn't an option. Different valve. Thats the problem with You Tube, the content that is important is usually casually mentioned and breezed over. I thought I heard him say valves are closed. But theres a procedure for that and wasn't even mentioned. And comment above say can open with pump down. Confusing. I think it would suck it out of compressor. ????
you need a micron guage you need to go down to 500 micron s the purpose is to remove moisture, if you dont youcan later have noncondensables in your line.
I was looking for a video on how to vacuum out this area of the ac/furnace. Mine has been neglected for years. I'm the new homeowner. Any tips for that? An AC guy told me he could do it for $400 (because it takes a long time) but he'd have to put me on his busy schedule.
Becky Lawler why do you want to vacuum the gas lines? You don’t do that unless you repairing a leak or replacing your AC. You are probably talking about vacuuming out the condensation line which drips the water outside the house removing humidity. Those occasionally needs to be cleaned for sure. I do have another video on that on my channel. See below ua-cam.com/video/uqWcFapseU8/v-deo.html This is easy as you just need a wet vacuum cleaner. Don’t mess with other ac component if your ac is working fine.
@@HowToDoitright Just to make sure we're talking about the same thing... This ac/furnace in a 2001 singlewide mobile home takes two 16x20x1 filters but had none when I moved here. The lines are caked with dust and gunk. I think it's bogging the system down. I've ordered filters but they won't be here for another week. I can't live without ac and the ac tech isn't coming back until the filters arrive.
@@HowToDoitright I wish I could send you a pic of what I'm talking about. Where the two 16x20x1 filters go there has been none in I don't know how long because there were none when I bought the house. All the dust and gunk that should have been caught by the filters is caked onto the innards of the ac/furnace. Shouldn't that be vacuumed and cleaned up to make the ac/furnace work more efficiently?
Ok now you are talking. Yes you will have to pump down the system. See a video on my channel on how to pump down. Then you will have to unweld the coil and remove the entire coil. Take it outside and wash it with a special chemical they sell. Now yes you can clean it while installed but a lot depends on what type of easy access you have. You can’t vacuum these. It needs to be washed. I have washed Them while they were installed also. They sell a coil cleaning spray that you can spray and it will loosen up all the dirt and then you hose it down. Yes lots of dirty water will come out cleaning the coil but hosing down is essential as if you don’t it will eat up your metal in long run so rinsing is necessary.
Hi, after replacing a suction line and liquid line service valve do you perform the vacuum with both valves open? If so, wouldn't the vacuum pump pull compressor oil out of the system? Thanks
So if there is no gas in compressor then yes I vacuum it with both valves open but if I have trapped refrigerant in the compressor then NO. No the vacuum won’t pull the oil with vacuum pump with valves open. Just so you know the pump itself has oil in there so do you see it spitting oil while pulling a vacuum. Answer is no so you will be good 👍
In video with freon trapped in compressor from"Pump Down" you contradict yourself and open both gauges Do you open them or keep them closed with freon in compressor during vacuum? @@HowToDoitright
OK. I have one big question. You removed the cores for a faster vacuum. Once you reached desired vacuum and let refrigerant in with a bottle or opening up the service valves…. HOW do you remove your hoses without losing your new charge ???
I just replaced my compressor and now have to fill it back up with refrigerant. I don't have that kwik charge device. Can't I just fill from the high side altogether?
@@MrMagsimus yeah you fill from the low side as much as possible then when it stops and won’t keep coming out you switch to the high side and let out just a little bit at a time until it’s all the way filled. Open and close the valve just a little at a time.
Nope. You have to vacuum everything with open valves however there is always some freon in the system. Even slight pressure I suggest close the valves ans then vacuum
Dude thank you so much I'm pulling a vacuum on a system now and I thought they had to be closed.....my concern is the oils...but correct me if I'm wrong the oils that the system uses is from the freon?
I take it that when topping the gas up the system has to running in full mode whilst the refrigerant is being added . ? ? Can someone pls confirm that , many thanks 🙏🏾
My HVAC tech wanted to see if it holds vacuum for 24 hours but he's letting the vacuum run for 24 hours instead of just shutting it off and seeing it holds negative pressure. Is this right? Doesnt seem right to me
What 24hours. That’s crazy lol. What pump is he using. Hopefully he knows what he is doing. A good 6cfm pump should vacuum it out within an hour max. Also use a vacrometer to measure the vacuum. Must be 500microns or below. I normally go down to 400 or 300
How can it hold if pump is constantly adding vacuum.? Natural laws of physics. It same as if you take your foot of the gas pedal in your car and see if car keeps going. No it wont. If vacuum holds when shut off its sealed. Thats the goal here. When system is put back together everything should stay in system. Vacuum test before duplicates the system stays sealed over time .....1hour 2hours.
More confused. I never hear if using "GAUGE" dont need yellow. What gauge? I always thought that is what yellow is for. It feeds the two hoses connected to the AC system thru the red"high side hose" or the blue e"low side hose" when the knobs Blue or Red on the gauges get opened.
Skipped certain steps video wise. Like pumping the refrigerant into the compressor beforehand, without this key detail, this method is useless for the most part
Yes required if you are professionally installing a unit for someone. If you are DIY you can do whatever on your unit. I always use it though. That’s the best practice.
Kurt Auerbach yes and the reason is so there is no moisture in the system. In my case I didn’t care because I’m replacing the unit so I didn’t want to. No needed here
I dont understand, everyone here is DIYfer. We are smart and can be educated from professionals. Thats the readon so many people get on here. Im not EPA yet. Im vacuuming mine today. If it holds I wont replace the unit. If it dosnt hold a vacuum I'll call someone to replace 20 year old unit. Tech already say he'll charge me $900 to charge my unit. with old R-22. I dont understand how he never check for leak, or consider the age of unit. I checked yesterday for pressure and its empty. I watched him check too. He didnt steal it. It been leaking all winter and maybe all summer last year
Bro the OP is dumb AF. If it's a 410 unit it has zero environmental risks. Let people DIY and stop gatekeeping. And FYI I am certified and the EPA can kiss my ass. I can discharge something like 20 lbs of r22 into the air and it's OK. No EPA violations. What does this mean got on average? About 90% of the time I can go to a house with an old R22 unit. Just open the valves, then let it perge into the air. And I'm not breaking any laws. I am a firm believer. If somebody wants to D, I, Y, something at their home. They should be able to get the information to Do it themselves. Calling a repairman or specialist should be a luxury, not a requirement.
I’m a HVAC tech don’t do it your self. Call a professional you won’t know if your evacuation was successful with out a micron gauge. Allowing Noncondensible‘s in your system can damage the compressor and cause you tons of money.
This is the best step- by-step video I have seen so far as how to vacuum an AC GAS LINE. I do not understand why some AC technicians are trying to make this so complicated.
Glad it helped. Please like and subscribe as it helps my channel supporting charity :)
Agree
Do it yourself then. Lmk how long it takes you
Watched many videos about the vacuuming HVAC pipes, this one is the simplest, easiest and understandable way I have seen. Thank you
Thank you. Glad it helped
Most of them require you to have more tools than most HVAC companies having their shop let alone your truck.😂 It's almost like they're trying to make it seem way harder than it needs to be.
Very true
@@HowToDoitright Other HVAC videos make this so difficult.
Best video on this topic on UA-cam. Straight to the point.
Glad it helped. Please like and subscribe as it helps my channel grow:)
Thank you for video. I just bought my first vacuum pump. I replaced a 2 ton Rheem evaporator and 2 ton Goodman condenser in my house. People claim you have to vacuum car a/c system. I replaced a leaking condenser on my 2004 Trailblazer over 7 years ago. I didn't vacuum it and it run fine.
Vacuum is important. Keep in mind it also depends on where you are (humid environment or not). If it’s cold outside with low humidity you may be ok. Also a car system is very small as compared to home so it can go by without pulling vacuum. In home system if you don’t pull vacuum it will hold lots of moisture and eventually over time time will cause corrosion to internal of compressor and will damage it. Trust me on that.
@@HowToDoitright I spent too much money to play around. So, I will do a vacuum first.
Simple and straight to the point. Thank you very much!
Great video channel the guy takes time to actually reply to questions , so re assuring to have that support , I have now subscribed because of the time this guy takes to help out . Thanks again bro God bless ❤❤from Uk 🇬🇧
Thank you, brother
I love your video wow simple and to the point. Great job thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Thank you! Glad it helped. Please like and subscribe as it helps my channel grow:)
I never comment on anything but you did so good I had to comment! Bravo 👏
Thank you 🙏
I vacuum my mini split and it never reached 30 but to 27. Is that ok, it held and no leaks. Is that ok??
Also love your channel very informative..
Good job on the video, you provided easy to follow instructions for the ordinary diy user. I am going to pull a vacuum using your method on an old R22 line sets that I will be attaching a new 3 Tons R410a unit to them. Based on your experience, will pulling a vacuum on the older line sets be sufficient to remove residual R22 impurities? Or should I consider flushing them with a commercial cleaning solution? Running new line sets is problematic in my situation. I appreciate your response.
Thanks,
Honestly it is recommended however I have had units that were replaced without flushing lines and converted from r22 to 410a.
Check out my playlist for HVAC. There is another video of vacuum and charging the system. Keep a look out as I’ll be posting more. There is a list of a new unit installation from start to finish.
@@HowToDoitright Thanks for you reply. Do you still recommend the pump you used in this video, Zenny I believe, or you switched to another pump? Are you able to pull vacuum down to 500 Micron with it? Did you get a Micron gage, and if yes which one and do you recommend it? Thanks,
@@HowToDoitright Excellent, I will check out the whole playlist.
No I don’t recommend Zenny pump. I would suggest get a good pump. That’s why I switched to Yellowjacket pump. I’ll be uploading another video in a day or so of vacuuming with my new pump and micron gauge and setup I used.
Nice video thanks you , when you are topping the gas do you have to have the Ac running ? , also if it’s totally empty can u just fill it using the red side of the pipe ?
Yes AC should be running by when topping it off. If it’s empty then yes you can fill in from high side red with bottle flipped.
@howtodoit I would recommend using a vacuum gauge. It helps out a lot in being more accurate with your micron level. Great video though
Yes agree. I started using micron guage. You are absolutely right though.
When you say you recovered the refrigerant into the compressor, you mean receiver right ? Because if your pulling a vacuum and there’s refrigerant in the compressor your gonna damage the pump.
Thanks bro I liked
Glad it helped. Please like and subscribe as it helps my channel supporting charity :)
Thank you so much very helpful
You're welcome!
i noticed you shut your pump off then closed your valves? i was always told to shut the valves off then shut off your vacuum pump. what was is correct?
Yea you learned it the right way. I realized it later.
To do this much faster, purchase a 3 way valve with a Schroeder valve remover, remove the valve, hook up a micron gauge to the three way, and then hook up your hose. That is all that this video is missing for it to be professional grade.
The allen key valves on the service line should be closed or open during vacuuming?
Good lord. I won’t say get professional help, but consult with someone experienced in HVAC. In a new system, your outside unit … the condensing unit (AC) or heat pump comes with a refrigerant charge so if you open up those valves, you lose all that charge. Expensive boo-boo, bad for the environment and illegal.
Existing system procedure depends on if it was pumped down. You can only do this if there is still a decent amount of charge in the system.
Too many factors for a UA-cam comment explanation. No simple answer, you need more learning. Watch a 1000 more videos and you can probably figure it out.
Closed obviously otherwise you will vacuum your gas you trapped in compressor unless the system gas leaked and you are vacuuming the entire system.
@@davec6016
He's asking about vacuum procedure. Not install new unit . Wrong video.
Thanks for clarifying.
Mine unit there isn't an option. Different valve.
Thats the problem with You Tube, the content that is important is usually casually mentioned and breezed over.
I thought I heard him say valves are closed. But theres a procedure for that and wasn't even mentioned.
And comment above say can open with pump down. Confusing. I think it would suck it out of compressor. ????
you need a micron guage you need to go down to 500 micron s the purpose is to remove moisture, if you dont youcan later have noncondensables in your line.
You are exactly right. Check out my other videos and you will see me using the micron gauge
I was looking for a video on how to vacuum out this area of the ac/furnace. Mine has been neglected for years. I'm the new homeowner. Any tips for that? An AC guy told me he could do it for $400 (because it takes a long time) but he'd have to put me on his busy schedule.
Becky Lawler why do you want to vacuum the gas lines? You don’t do that unless you repairing a leak or replacing your AC. You are probably talking about vacuuming out the condensation line which drips the water outside the house removing humidity. Those occasionally needs to be cleaned for sure. I do have another video on that on my channel.
See below
ua-cam.com/video/uqWcFapseU8/v-deo.html
This is easy as you just need a wet vacuum cleaner. Don’t mess with other ac component if your ac is working fine.
@@HowToDoitright
Just to make sure we're talking about the same thing...
This ac/furnace in a 2001 singlewide mobile home takes two 16x20x1 filters but had none when I moved here. The lines are caked with dust and gunk. I think it's bogging the system down. I've ordered filters but they won't be here for another week. I can't live without ac and the ac tech isn't coming back until the filters arrive.
@@HowToDoitright
I wish I could send you a pic of what I'm talking about. Where the two 16x20x1 filters go there has been none in I don't know how long because there were none when I bought the house. All the dust and gunk that should have been caught by the filters is caked onto the innards of the ac/furnace. Shouldn't that be vacuumed and cleaned up to make the ac/furnace work more efficiently?
Ok now you are talking. Yes you will have to pump down the system. See a video on my channel on how to pump down. Then you will have to unweld the coil and remove the entire coil. Take it outside and wash it with a special chemical they sell. Now yes you can clean it while installed but a lot depends on what type of easy access you have. You can’t vacuum these. It needs to be washed. I have washed Them while they were installed also. They sell a coil cleaning spray that you can spray and it will loosen up all the dirt and then you hose it down. Yes lots of dirty water will come out cleaning the coil but hosing down is essential as if you don’t it will eat up your metal in long run so rinsing is necessary.
Hi, after replacing a suction line and liquid line service valve do you perform the vacuum with both valves open? If so, wouldn't the vacuum pump pull compressor oil out of the system? Thanks
So if there is no gas in compressor then yes I vacuum it with both valves open but if I have trapped refrigerant in the compressor then NO.
No the vacuum won’t pull the oil with vacuum pump with valves open. Just so you know the pump itself has oil in there so do you see it spitting oil while pulling a vacuum. Answer is no so you will be good 👍
Great. Thanks
In video with freon trapped in compressor from"Pump Down" you contradict yourself and open both gauges
Do you open them or keep them closed with freon in compressor during vacuum?
@@HowToDoitright
Good Job 👍👍
Thanks 👍
awseome man
OK. I have one big question. You removed the cores for a faster vacuum. Once you reached desired vacuum and let refrigerant in with a bottle or opening up the service valves…. HOW do you remove your hoses without losing your new charge ???
The device on the core let you put the cores back with positive pressure in the system without looking the gas. It’s a special tool.
I just replaced my compressor and now have to fill it back up with refrigerant. I don't have that kwik charge device. Can't I just fill from the high side altogether?
@calledout4437 yes I have the same question also ? Can u fill from the red pipe side ? Pls let me know
@@MrMagsimus yeah you fill from the low side as much as possible then when it stops and won’t keep coming out you switch to the high side and let out just a little bit at a time until it’s all the way filled. Open and close the valve just a little at a time.
@@calledout4437 thanks for the reply appreciate it 👍🇬🇧
His video says opposite
Are supposed to take out the schrader valves when you vacuum the lines or leave them in?
You don’t have to but it’s a lot faster if you do
When u have no freon in the system do u have to close the king valves ?
Nope. You have to vacuum everything with open valves however there is always some freon in the system. Even slight pressure I suggest close the valves ans then vacuum
Dude thank you so much I'm pulling a vacuum on a system now and I thought they had to be closed.....my concern is the oils...but correct me if I'm wrong the oils that the system uses is from the freon?
The oil won’t get sucked so don’t worry. You should pull a full vacuum. The compressor have oil in it and line has some oil.
@@HowToDoitright should you add more oil after pulling a vacuum?
No not needed
I take it that when topping the gas up the system has to running in full mode whilst the refrigerant is being added . ? ? Can someone pls confirm that , many thanks 🙏🏾
Yes
Thanks that was my question too.
You Tube can be so hard to follow. Info is left out
My HVAC tech wanted to see if it holds vacuum for 24 hours but he's letting the vacuum run for 24 hours instead of just shutting it off and seeing it holds negative pressure. Is this right? Doesnt seem right to me
What 24hours. That’s crazy lol. What pump is he using. Hopefully he knows what he is doing. A good 6cfm pump should vacuum it out within an hour max. Also use a vacrometer to measure the vacuum. Must be 500microns or below. I normally go down to 400 or 300
How can it hold if pump is constantly adding vacuum.?
Natural laws of physics. It same as if you take your foot of the gas pedal in your car and see if car keeps going.
No it wont.
If vacuum holds when shut off its sealed. Thats the goal here. When system is put back together everything should stay in system.
Vacuum test before duplicates the system stays sealed over time .....1hour 2hours.
Im surw mant DIYfers are able to get the freon if they got this far.
And mine is totally empty, NO GAS. It leaked out.
Where do each of the hoses go? I got confused with the yellow one
yellow is for filling the gas but if you measuring gas via guage then you dont need to
More confused.
I never hear if using "GAUGE" dont need yellow.
What gauge? I always thought that is what yellow is for. It feeds the two hoses connected to the AC system thru the red"high side hose" or the blue e"low side hose" when the knobs Blue or Red on the gauges get opened.
Having a micron gage is essential….. go buy one, pal… lol
Lol you are right. This is an old video. I did endup buying one.
Do not use this technique. It is not accurate. Get yourself a vacuum gauge and do it the right way.
Agree. It’s not a vacuum gauge. It’s called a vacrometer. I endup getting one and it definitely helps
Skipped certain steps video wise. Like pumping the refrigerant into the compressor beforehand, without this key detail, this method is useless for the most part
I totally agree with you but that was covered in my other video. In this video the focus was mainly on pulling vacuum and not the entire process.
YOU SHOULDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO DO A VACUUM WITH OUT A MICRON GAUGE! ITS REQUIRED!!!
Yes required if you are professionally installing a unit for someone. If you are DIY you can do whatever on your unit. I always use it though. That’s the best practice.
@@HowToDoitright its not done because we want to.. there is a reason for using a micron gauge, just as there is a reason for pulling a vacuum.
Kurt Auerbach yes and the reason is so there is no moisture in the system. In my case I didn’t care because I’m replacing the unit so I didn’t want to. No needed here
It is, no need to get on your soapbox. He's showing basics, NOT teaching to certify people.
That is true. It’s just informational video
At 1:25 I think you meant that you pumped down all the refrigerant into the "condenser coil" not the compressor 😉
Yes :)
Oh my God
I just read this and cant believe the video is wrong.
Thanks for catching this mistake
There is no DIY vacuum procedure. If you are not epa certified then you do not need to be handling refrigerants.
I dont understand, everyone here is DIYfer. We are smart and can be educated from professionals.
Thats the readon so many people get on here.
Im not EPA yet. Im vacuuming mine today. If it holds I wont replace the unit.
If it dosnt hold a vacuum I'll call someone to replace 20 year old unit.
Tech already say he'll charge me $900 to charge my unit. with old R-22.
I dont understand how he never check for leak, or consider the age of unit.
I checked yesterday for pressure and its empty. I watched him check too. He didnt steal it. It been leaking all winter and maybe all summer last year
Bro the OP is dumb AF. If it's a 410 unit it has zero environmental risks. Let people DIY and stop gatekeeping. And FYI I am certified and the EPA can kiss my ass. I can discharge something like 20 lbs of r22 into the air and it's OK. No EPA violations. What does this mean got on average? About 90% of the time I can go to a house with an old R22 unit. Just open the valves, then let it perge into the air. And I'm not breaking any laws.
I am a firm believer. If somebody wants to D, I, Y, something at their home.
They should be able to get the information to Do it themselves. Calling a repairman or specialist should be a luxury, not a requirement.
I’m a HVAC tech don’t do it your self. Call a professional you won’t know if your evacuation was successful with out a micron gauge. Allowing Noncondensible‘s in your system can damage the compressor and cause you tons of money.
Yeah I purchased a micron gauge. All set to do it myself properly. It’s knowledge anyone can learn.
How was it done since air conditioning been around before micron gauge?
Leave pump running long time. Just make sure good size pump
So sad dont down the tech give some real advice share your knowlegde make the craft stronger
😅😂 vacuuming systems has been done for years without micron guages